So Mardi Gras was yesterday. I know I have always seen colorful umbrellas in the parade photos or video, but I never knew the story. There may be more to "second line umbrellas" than I have found out, but one story is told at "Born of Necessity":
The Origins of the Second Line Umbrella....:
In the south the idea of carrying an umbrella for shade, just sort of just caught on! Hey! It was a great idea. The Southern Bells, who would dress in their finery, each Sunday, started to always carry an umbrella to provide instant shade to them when necessary. It made a great accessory, and in the 1840's, the umbrella started showing up in catalogs as accessories to the bells' Sunday dress. In any other place in the United States that would be the end of it, but here in Louisiana, it became a southern idea that would evolve into a Mardi Gras tradition.
No comments:
Post a Comment